Finding Love in a Coffee Shop
by stuckbeingrachel
Summary: Mara Jaffray's beloved coffee shop is closed and replaced with a new one, owned by a handsome blonde by the name of Jerome Clarke. Will they find what they've always wanted, or will their hopes crumble because of a simple slip of the tongue? 3-shot! Parts 1, 2 & 3 of my 12 Days of Christmas Shot!JARA ALL THE WAY! R&R! Friendship, H/C and some Drama!
1. Part 1

**Okay, this is the second thing for my 12 Days of Christmas Shot. This will be a three-shot, so the next chapter will come tomorrow and then the next day. Then, I'll upload another one-shot. I am currently working on some HOC drabbles and the last few one-shots for the 12DOC. I also have a few new one-shots coming out that I'll most likely be uploading after Christmas, but I'm not sure.**

**This is _Finding Love in a Coffee Shop _Part 1, enjoy!**

* * *

"What are you doing this Friday?" Amber Millington asked, steering left, grey eyes twinkling.

Mara Jaffray looked up at her best friend from the book she was reading and raised a skeptical eyebrow. Hesitantly, she replied, "Nothing…why?"

"Oh, no reason, just wondering," The blonde let out a soft giggle that told Mara she was up to something.

"Amber, don't set me up with anyone. Please."

"Oh, come on, you need a boyfriend." Amber whined.

"Which I can find in my own time," Mara retorted.

"But, sometimes people just need a little push—hey, what happened to the coffee shop?"

Mara turned away from her friend and looked out the window as the building dashed past them. The small coffee shop, Classy Brews, was her favorite place to go and work. The elderly couple that had run the shop was always there for her if she needed a motherly or fatherly figure and now that the shop was gone she couldn't help but wonder what happened to them.

"I don't know. I hope Missy and Andrew are alright." Mara sighed sadly.

"You'll have to check later," Amber told her as she pulled up in Mara's driveway.

"I will. Thanks for the ride. Love you." Mara gave her a side hug.

As Mara exited the car, Amber called after her, "Call me about Friday!"

Mara looked back at her through the closed passenger seat window and stuck her tongue out at her childishly. With a quick wave she hopped up the steps to the front door of her small, blue, two-story home. She unlocked the door and stepped in, shivering against the sudden change in temperature. She took her winter coat off and hung it on a rack as she heard a meow come from the kitchen. Mara peeked in and smiled softly.

"I'm sorry, Pepper. I'll get you some food." She bent down and picked the tabby cat up and scratched her ears.

Setting her down on the counter, she filled the food and water dishes. She grabbed her laptop and took a seat on the bar stool at the counter. She reached down and opened the small drawer below the countertop and leafed through the papers. Her eyebrows scrunched as she went over the stack a third time. Realization dawned on her and she gasped, slapping her forehead. She hopped off the chair and ran to the door, shrugging into her coat and slipping her purse over her shoulder.

"I'll be back, Peppermint!" she hollered and received a soft mew from the cat.

She snuggled into her purple coat and locked her door, stepping out into the cold morning air. Running to her car, she slid in and started it, flipping the heat on high. She pulled out of her driveway and cruised down the road until the coffee shop came into view. In place of Classy Brews was another café, A Cup Above. Through the glass doors, Mara could see that the décor of the café was almost the same as Classy Brews had been. The tables were made of oak wood and the chairs and booths were dark green and red. The light fixtures were a glowing, dark gold and the walls were decorated with paintings of people and landscapes. She parked quickly and hopped out, hurrying to the double doors.

The doors were locked and it was about ten minutes until it opened. She shivered and knocked quickly and hopefully loud enough for whoever was in the backroom. A shadow stepped out of the room and as he approached the door she could make out his features.

He was about six inches taller than her 5 foot 4 inch frame and he had a kind face. His eyes were a glowing brown and his hair was a light brown, cut short and spiked up. His nose was thin and had a few freckles sprinkled across the bridge.

He unlocked the door and held it open for her. "We're not open yet, but it'd be very ungentlemanly of me to leave you out in the cold for ten minutes."

His voice was low and soothing and Mara felt his calmness wash over her. She gave him a smile.

"Would you like something to drink?" he asked with a smile, two deep dimples appearing on either of his tan cheeks.

"Yes, please. And I was also wondering if the old coffee shop's lost and found was still here?" she asked, following him to the counter.

He walked around to the other side and nodded. "Yeah, it's in the back, did you need something?"

"A notebook, blue with Mara printed on the front."

"I'll go check. And while I do that, why don't you decide what kind of drink you'd like? I'm guessing you're Mara?" his smile still in place.

"Yes, Mara Jaffray," she nodded, holding out a hand for him to shake.

"Aaron Sanders," he took her hand in his and kissed her knuckles. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"You too," she bit back a giggle.

"Aaron, stop flirting with my costumers." A voice called from the back.

"Oh, come on, Jerome, she could be The One, and you won't let me find out?" Aaron whined, heading for the back.

"Yes, because the last girl you dated, you had said was 'The One' and you broke up with her, a week and a half of getting laid, later." Jerome replied.

"Shh!" Aaron hissed.

Mara frowned, looking up at the menu.

"What can I get you?"

She looked away from the menu as a tall man stepped out of the room. He was about 6 foot 2 inches and had pale skin. His hair was a dirty-blonde and was brushed forward to hang over his forehead, giving him a fringe. His eyes were a pale blue and darkened a shade when they landed on her. He wore a white button-up shirt with a blue tie, looped loosely around his neck. He licked his thin lips and stepped up to the counter, towering over her. She craned her neck to look into his eyes and felt her blood rush to her cheeks.

She unconsciously ran a hand through her raven black hair and pressed her lips together. "What do you recommend?"

He smiled and turned around, pointing at the menu. "The Peppermint Coffee is my favorite, perfect for this time of year, in my opinion."

"Alright, I'll take one of those." She smiled back.

"Coming right up,"

When he entered the back room, Aaron exited with a quick shove to the blonde's shoulder. He held up a blue spiral notebook.

"This it?" he grinned.

"Yes, thank you so much." She took it from him and pushed it into her bag gently.

"You're so welcome."

"Here you are."

A coffee slid in front of her and Aaron stepped aside as Jerome pushed him. Aaron's eyes narrowed at Jerome and his lips thinned into a tight line.

"That'll be £2." He said.

"It's on the house," Jerome told her with a smile. "Don't worry about it."

"Oh, no, it's fine. I can pay—"

"No, you don't." Jerome stopped her before Aaron could open his mouth. "We're not open. We aren't selling anything yet."

Mara's cheeks warmed when he winked at her.

He ran a hand through his hair and continued, "If you keep coming in before we're open, your orders will continue to be free."

Mara giggled. "You could go bankrupt."

"I'm just trying to get you to come back so I can see you again. Please don't protest." He whispered, leaning on the counter.

"Alright, I'll come back. I'm Mara Jaffray, by the way."

"Jerome Clarke." He replied, holding his hand out.

She placed her hand in his warily, expecting him to be like Aaron and kiss her knuckles, but he just shook it with a smile.

* * *

Mara jogged up to the door and knocked, Jerome appearing from the backroom in seconds. He smiled and opened the glass doors for her and she marveled in the warmth that surrounded her. She requested a coffee and took a seat in the corner of the room. It had been several days since Mara had first come to A Cup Above.

As quick as he always was, Jerome was back and a moment and set the mug on her table along with a slice of pecan pie. He took a sip from his coffee mug and sat across from her.

Mara looked up at him from her laptop with a small smile, taking in his appearance. His blonde hair was combed back, giving Mara a perfect view of his eyes, paler than usual, while wearing a black and white striped long sleeve shirt. His clothing style was always sophisticated and Mara thought it fit the coffee shop décor perfectly.

"Not to pry or anything, but what are you doing on there?" he asked with a chuckle.

"I'm a writer," she replied, scooping a small bite of pie into her mouth.

"What do you write?"

"Um, nothing interesting…just whatever I feel needs to be heard."

"You're Jack Jackal." He stated.

"What? N-no I'm not." she stuttered, closing her laptop.

"You're also a really bad liar. Jack Jackal said the exact same thing last week in the article 'The Importance', and I quote, 'I write whatever I feel needs to be heard.'" He added with a smug smirk.

"Please don't tell anyone," she whispered with pleading eyes.

"Of course, you're a fantastic writer by the way."

"Thank you." she blushed.

"Mara Jaffray!" a shrill voice screamed, the bells over the glass doors jingling violently.

Mara bit her lip and closed her eyes. "Oh no…"

Jerome's eyes landed on the blonde in the doorway and stood up slowly, tip toeing away from the table. He felt sorry about leaving Mara but—

"Jerome Clarke?" she said incredulously.

He froze and turned to Amber and Mara who was now looking up at the two.

"Hey, Amber," he waved slightly, his shoulders hunched uncomfortably.

"You were about to run away from me," she glared, and then a big grin grew on her face and she ran up to him, throwing her arms around his neck.

"Ow, Amber, that hurts." he choked out, prying her arms off him.

"Oops, sorry," she smiled sheepishly and continued with a grin. "Alfie will be so excited to know that you're back in town. He's missed you so much."

"I decided to stay for good; I don't have anywhere else to go." Jerome shrugged, stuffing his hands in his jean pockets.

"Fantastic! Now, Mara," she turned to her best friend. "What's this I hear about you standing Mick last night?"

"Oh, right, that was last night. And need I remind you, Amber; I didn't want to go out on that date in the first place."

"I have a wonderful idea," Amber announced suddenly.

"What?" Jerome asked warily, taking his seat across from Mara.

"Alfie and I are throwing a Christmas party next week. You two should come." she suggested.

"I'm already coming." Mara reminded her.

"Parties aren't my thing, but I'll come, I'd like to see the gang."

"Yeah, the whole gang is going to be there."

"I'll be there." Jerome smiled and stood when a customer entered the shop.

"No, wait, Jerome," Amber tugged on his arm and turned him back around. "I want you two to come together."

"Um, Amber, we're not—" he started to protest and gritted his teeth when he heard the woman tap her foot impatiently. "This is not over."

"Amber, we're not a couple. Jerome doesn't even like me like that." Mara whispered as Jerome darted behind the counter.

Amber took Jerome's seat and shook her head at the raven haired girl. "You told me what he said to you the first time you two met. I think he does like you. I saw the way he was looking at you. You like him right?"

Mara blushed and took a sip of her coffee. "No."

"You're an awful liar, Mara."

"Told you," Jerome called from the back.

Mara's eyes widened. He could hear them? She bit her lip and took out her phone, sending Amber a quick text.

_Fine, I kind of like him, alright? _

Amber's reply came in seconds.

_yes! i new it! r u gonna ask him 2g2 the party? _

Mara mentally winced at the spelling and grammar mistakes and replied.

_No, if he wants to go with me, he can ask me._

_Mara! u ask him. i no Jerome. he wont ask u unless he nos u like him. _

"You're not one of _those_ girls are you?"

Mara looked up at Jerome curiously. "_Those_ girls?"

"That texts her friend when she's sitting right across from her." he explained, pulling a chair up to the table.

"No, I'm not." she replied, putting her phone back in her purse.

"So what was so secret that you had to text each other about it?" he smirked, leaning back in his seat casually.

"Shouldn't you be working?" Mara blushed.

"It's my break, Aaron's got it covered."

"So, Jerome, have you found a girl you could settle down with yet?" Amber asked pointedly.

"No, Amber, I can't say I have." Jerome answered after a moment.

It didn't go unnoticed by Amber, or Mara, the way the blonde had paused and his blue eyes had flitted to Mara quickly. If you were anyone else you wouldn't have seen it, it had happened so fast. Amber also realized that Jerome had purposefully sat closer to Mara, though acting as if he just slid into the spot.

"Well, you should look harder." she looked at Mara quickly, hoping Jerome would pick up on the silent message.

Jerome swallowed and looked away from the two girls. "Oh, look, my breaks over. I'll see you two later."

Without waiting for a reply, he shot out of the chair and hurried to the backroom.

"Amber!" Mara scolded.

"What?" the blonde asked innocently. "I need to go, I'll call you later. Don't tell Alfie about Jerome, I want it to be a surprise when he walks through our front door. He's going to be so happy! Hurry up on Jerome; I don't want to have to send you on another blind date after what happened last time. Love you." she went to the counter and ordered a coffee from Aaron quickly and Mara turned back to her laptop with a roll of her brown eyes.

Amber slipped into the backroom, without Mara's knowledge, and snuck up behind Jerome, tapping his shoulder gently.

He jumped and turned around, glaring at her instantly. "Amber, I understand that we haven't seen each other in years, but that doesn't mean you can come back here without my permission."

"Do you like Mara?" she asked, ignoring his scolding.

"What," he asked tiredly, running a hand through his hair.

"It's a simple question; I don't need to repeat myself."

"Amber, I've only known her for a week and a half. You can't expect me to start liking her in that time."

Amber raised an eyebrow and planted her hands on her hips sternly.

"Fine. I sort of like her. Are you happy now?" he grumbled.

"Ask her out. Take her to the party. Are you the same person you were three years ago? Yes, you are. I know you, you won't ever change. Jerome, you and Mara are the perfect couple. Trust me on this one. _Trust _me. Mara loves everything that I remember you loving. Um, those artist people you like. You know those dead guys. Uh, Pesto—"

"Picasso." Jerome corrected in a monotone.

"Whatever. And that Michael guy—"

"Michelangelo, Caravaggio, Dai Jin, Jacques Daret—yes, Amber, I know the names of all the artists I like." He cut her off again.

"She also loves poetry. William Shakespeare, William Wordsworth, Edgar Allen Poe, everyone you like. My point is you and her have so much in common. And on top of that, I saw some serious chemistry between the two of you. Please, give this a chance. I know what happened between you and Grace really messed you up. And what happened with your parents. You don't trust easily and I get that. But, give Mara a chance. She's not a heartbreaker, I promise you. She's had her heart broken just like you."

"I just don't want to take the risk of falling in love again." Jerome whispered.

Amber bit her lip and held back from wrapping him up in another rib-crushing hug. Instead, she placed her hand on his shoulder and looked him in the eye, seriousness hard on her flawless face. "I will never set you up on another date again, if you take Mara out once. If you decide that you just can't deal with being around someone you have feelings for, fine. Just try."

"Never again?"

"Never."

"Alright, fine, I'll ask her out next time I talk to her."

"Great," she grinned and hugged him softly. "It's good to see you again."

"You too," Jerome hugged her back and then pushed her out of the room.

Amber tip toed past Mara and slipped out of the café unnoticed. Jerome left the backroom and found Mara waiting patiently at the counter. He took a deep breath and smiled at her.

"What'll it be?"

"A Jasmine green tea, please," she replied, handing him some money. "The shop's open, I'm paying."

Jerome sighed and took the money from her and handing her a cup a minute later. As she turned away to sit back at her table, Jerome stopped her before he could tell himself not to.

"Yes?" she peered at him curiously.

"Um, forgive me; I'm a little out of practice but…" Mara's head cocked to the side in adorable confusion, at least that's what Jerome thought. "Would you like to go out with me sometime; maybe tonight, if you're not doing anything?

Mara licked her lips and glance down at her shoes with a blush creeping onto her cheeks. She looked back up at him and brushed some of her hair out of her face. "Sure, I'd like that."

"Great, um, would you like me to pick you up or…?"

"If that's alright, here's my address." She scribbled on a piece of paper quickly and handed it to him before walking off.

* * *

**Well? What'd you think of it? I got the idea from a story on Wattpad called _Finding Love in a Coffee Shop. _It's by one of my favorite authors on Wattpad. You should check it out, it's awesome!**

**REVIEW!**

**Next chapter is up tomorrow!**

_**As for you, see that what you have heard from the beginning remains in you. If it does, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father. And this is what he promised us—eternal life. -1 John 2:24-25**_

**Love y'all! Happy 2nd day of Christmas!**

**-Rachel**


	2. Part 2

**Okay, second chapter! The next and last one will come up tomorrow! Enjoy!**

* * *

Mara smoothed the skirt of her red dress out and grabbed her cream colored coat, opening the door. On the other side, Jerome was leaning against the porch railing across from the door, arms crossed and hair brushed forward. She smiled a hello and tried to ignore how hot he looked in his black dress pants, white dress shirt and black blazer. It wasn't a tux, but it might as well had been, he could make anything look sophisticated and casual at the same time.

"You are so lucky," he stated, helping her slide into her coat.

"Oh? How am I lucky?" she turned to him and started to button her coat up.

"Red's my favorite color." He replied.

"And to think I almost wore my green dress. I'm so glad I had second thoughts. You're the lucky one, Jerome." she giggled.

He chuckled, holding her hand and helping her down the steps, though it was completely unnecessary. "You're right, Jaffray, I am lucky."

Mara blushed. "Jaffray?"

"Oh, sorry, I have a habit of calling people by their last names. I'll work on that." he said sheepishly.

"Oh, no, it's okay. I've never had anyone call me Jaffray before; you can if you want to." She told him.

"Alright, Jaffray," he grinned and held his car door open for her to slip into the passenger's side.

He jogged around to his side and pulled out into the road. When Mara asked where they were going, he told her it was a secret and to be patient. A few minutes later, they were pulling into a parking lot next to the restaurant _Ivy's_.

"I've never been here." Mara informed her date as he opened the door for her.

"Good. It's great, I'm sure you'll love It." he led her inside and smiled at the woman behind the front desk.

Her dark hair was pulled back in a messy yet elegant bun and her green eyes glowed under the low lights.

"Good evening, Kate." He smiled.

"Hello, Jerome. Good to see you." she replied in a seductive voice that made Mara look at her feet uncomfortably.

"I have a reservation." He ignored her tone and gently pulled Mara to stand in front of him, hands squeezing her shoulders reassuringly.

"Who's this?" Kate sizes Mara up with a jealous glint in her eyes.

"Mara, my date; can you show us to our table?" he raised an eyebrow at the girl.

"Of course." A tight smile appeared on her face and she weaved through the other tables and couples until the three came to a corner that couldn't be seen.

Jerome pushed Mara's chair in when she sat down and she thanked him, picking her menu up and he did the same.

"Thank you, Kate, you can leave now." He said without looking up from his menu.

Kate scowled and left with a huff. A few minutes later a man, no taller than Mara, walked up to the table. He ran a hand through his brown hair and smiled at the two. He asked for their drink orders and jotted them down on his notepad.

"Thanks, Isaac."

"Don't miss me too much while I'm gone, Clarke." Isaac grinned.

"I used to work here." He answered her questioning glance.

She nodded and her eyes flitted over her menu again.

"Isaac needs money for college. Greg is the head chef in the kitchen and doesn't come out very often, he's actually pretty funny. And then you have Kate. Ever since my first day she's been hitting on me, trying to get me to go out with her." the blonde rolled his eyes.

"Why didn't you?" Mara asked, instantly blushing at her question.

Isaac popped up with their drinks and took their order, hurrying off to another table. Jerome took a quick sip of his wine and chuckled, leaning back in his chair.

"At the time, I had a very bad view on women. I thought that they were man-eating aliens that should be evaporated on sight. That they all were gold diggers and liars and cheats…"

Mara bit her lip and took a sip from her glass.

"I don't think that now though. You changed that for me." he assured her.

She looked up at him and smiled at his honest eyes. "Why did you feel like that in the first place?"

"I…had my heart broken." He shook his head with a grim smile.

"Everyone's had their heartbroken one time or another, Jerome."

"When did you?" he asked before he could stop himself.

"A week after graduating college, Kyle ran off. With my roommate, I might add. We had dated for three years and he said he loved me and that I was the only one for him but…he lied."

"I'm sorry, Mara." Jerome frowned.

She shrugged nonchalantly, sipping her wine.

"Grace was my long time crush. Three years I crushed on her and she never noticed me—or so I thought. Turned out she was just playing hard to get. I told her later that was a total turn off for guys. A few years later, it's our wedding day and she seemed to remember that. She didn't play hard to get and ran off with some guy she met at the gym. I later found out she'd been seeing him behind my back for a year."

"That's a lot worse than my heartbreak story." Mara said sheepishly.

"No, it's really not. You're lucky he didn't leave you the day you two were getting married." Jerome shook his head.

"I guess you're right…"

The food arrived shortly and they dug in. After dinner they left the restaurant quickly, doing their best to avoid Kate, and decided to walk around and talk. They slowly made their way down the streets of London, Christmas light lighting the sidewalks.

"Want some hot chocolate?" Jerome asked when he saw Mara shiver out of the corner of his eye.

"Sure," she smiled and followed him to a small stand run by two young girls.

Both had blonde hair, pulled back in ponytails. Their grey eyes lit up as the two neared the table and grinned at them.

"Hiya!" the first one said happily.

"Hey, girls," Jerome smiled and pulled out some money, holding it out for them, requesting to cups.

"Are you two on a date?" the second one asked, filling up two cups while the other one got change for Jerome.

"How could you tell?" Mara giggled.

"You two are the cutest couple we've seen all night." She replied, handing Mara a cup.

"What are your names?" the first one asked, handing Jerome his change.

"Jerome and Mara. What are yours?" Jerome replied cautiously.

"Aubrey and Andrea," the second one answered, motioning to her and then her friend. "But really, you two are the perfect couple, those names fit together perfectly!"

Andrea squealed with Aubrey.

"Mara, they're Amber clones." Jerome stared at them wide eyed.

Mara slapped him on the arm gently. "Jerome."

"What? Can't you see it? Andrea and Aubrey, blonde hair and grey eyes—they're younger versions of Amber."

Mara rolled her eyes and giggled. "All the proceeds go to charity?"

"Yep, this orphanage," Andrea pointed behind them.

"That's a good cause. Here, keep the change." Jerome handed the change back to the girls and took his cocoa.

"Thanks!" they grinned.

Mara and Jerome smiled and waved goodbye, heading down the street again.

"They were nice girls," Mara stated, sipping her cocoa.

"I still think they were Amber clones. But, nice girls, nonetheless." He added when she glared at him.

"So, how do you know Alfie?" she asked after a moment of silence.

"He and I went to boarding school together; along with Amber, Trixie, Sweety Junior, Nina, Stutter Rutter, Killjoy and the Meathead." He replied.

Mara stayed silent for a second. "Trixie is Patricia; Eddie is Sweety Junior, Stutter Rutter is Fabian, Joy is Killjoy, and the Meathead is…Mick?"

"You're as smart as you look. Good, I like a woman with a brain." Jerome grinned, jogging ahead of her to unlock and hold the car door open for her.

"You think I look smart?" Mara tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Smart is sexy, in my book." He smirked and closed the door behind her.

Mara bowed her head and pressed her cold hands against her burning cheeks.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to make you blush." He apologized, turning the engine over, and then snorted. "I'm so kidding; I love making you blush. You're so cute."

"Please stop," Mara groaned, resting her forehead against the dashboard, cheeks darkening even more.

"I'm sorry. When I get comfortable around someone, I start acting like my real self. Ya know, annoying, smug, cocky jerk."

"I don't think you're a jerk—cocky and a little smug, maybe, but annoying, no." Mara told him honestly.

Jerome smiled and shut the car off. It was then that Mara realized they were parked in front of her house.

"Do you want to come in? We can talk some more." Mara suggested.

The blonde nodded with a smile and got out of the car so he could open her door before she could get out.

"You don't have to keep doing that, you know."

"But I want to."

Mara rolled her eyes but grinned to herself as they hopped up to her front door. She unlocked it and walked in, Jerome following and shutting the door. Mara flipped the living room light on and hurried to the kitchen, switching those lights on as well.

"Did I forget again?" she whined to herself.

She picked Peppermint up and stroked her back. She filled his food and water bowls before setting the feline down and turning to Jerome.

"My cat, Peppermint—wait, no I didn't. What's going on with you?"

"She an outdoor cat?" Jerome asked, eyes falling on the backdoor with the cat door.

Mara's reply was positive as she sat the fat cat on the counter.

"Is she fixed?"

Mara's head snapped around to look at Jerome. "You think she's pregnant?"

"Maybe; you should take her to the vet just to be sure. I don't know much about animals but my cousin Sarah ate all the time when she was pregnant with her quintuplets."

"Yeah, thanks." Mara sighed.

She shrugged out of her coat and asked Jerome for his. Then, they took a seat on either end of this sofa and Mara spoke first.

"Why do you call Mick a…meathead?"

"He and I never got along." Her date shrugged.

"Why didn't you?"

"One of the reasons was because he was the guy that ran off with Grace."

Mara gasped, eyes growing wide. "What?"

"Yeah, obviously they didn't get married or anything but that just went on top of everything else that I caked on to the list of reasons why I hate Mick Campbell. When we were fifteen he found out this big secret about me and almost told the whole school. I threatened to tell the whole school that he was cheating on Amber, since at the time they were dating, and he kept his mouth shut. He hasn't told anyone since, I think. I'm not really sure; we haven't talked since the day he left the church with Grace."

"Was the secret really that big a deal?" Mara asked attentively.

"Yes, it was." He answered with hard eyes.

Mara nodded in understanding and Jerome turned to her, crossing his legs Indian style.

"Can I tell you what it is?" he asked unsurely.

"Yes, you can." She smiled honestly, copying his position.

"Well, when I was five, my parents dropped me off at Anubis House and just left. They never came back, they never wrote – they sent me money – but didn't do anything to show me that they cared at all. So, I spent my whole life at that school. My birthday, holidays, summer – everything, I was there for everything. I never had any friends either. Alfie was my first friend and immediately my best friend even though he knew nothing about me. We met the day he first came to Anubis House when we were ten. I didn't exactly trust him, I didn't tell him secrets or anything like that, and he understood that. When I was twelve, I was still friendless besides Alfie and I was a total loner and outcast. Alfie's a really social guy so naturally he would hang out with other people more than me.

"I was the prankster of the whole school and I could do anything without being caught. Actually, I was caught once. When I was eighteen, it was a week before I was going to graduate and I was caught sneaking around the principal's office. Since I was going to graduate that next week, they didn't expel me for doing something that your innocent ears aren't supposed to hear. That was also the week I spoke to Grace and asked her out, which she accepted. And, ya know, it turned out that my father had no part in dropping me off at school. He was against it and fought for me but Joan, my mother, didn't let it happen. He was in jail most of my life, for reasons I don't want to speak of. It was Joan's decision. My dad was released on parole when I was seventeen and was off the hook in time for my graduation. When I was in college I finally got a letter from Joan and she told me that she got remarried a year after dumping me and they had three kids that were, and quote: 'perfect angels, unlike the demon child you were.' And then when I was twenty-one, well, you know the rest of that story." He sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"I'm sorry, Jerome. I've heard Alfie talk about you but he never mentioned that. He would just babble on about how much fun you two would have pranking anyone within a fifty mile radius." Mara smiled.

"Yeah, good times as Lewis and Clarke. Anyway, you know how I became friends with Alfie and most of my life story. What's the story behind you and Amber?"

"Well, let's start from the beginning, shall we? Um, Amber and I grew up next door to each other and the first four years of my life we knew each other like the back of our hand. But when I turned five my parents decided it was a good time for me to be able to go traveling with them. My dad was a professional basketball player and my mum was a professional hockey player. Both my parents were tall and athletic and I never got any of their genes." Jerome laughed loudly and Mara joined in, trying to hold back a blush.

"After several years of traveling for games and stuff, and learning everything about every sport, they sent me to boarding school so I could get an education and some real friends. My high school life was pretty normal so you don't really need to hear anything about that, it'll bore you. The only thing you know about that was me meeting Kyle, and then, my college life with Kyle and trying to get a degree as a doctor. I gave that up when I wanted to be a journalist. Amber contacted me my junior year at college and we got together and talk and stuff. She told me about all of her adventures and her friends and invited me over to her place for a party.

"And that's where I met the others; I instantly got along with all of them. Eddie was one of my favorites because he was a journalist. We work at the same newspaper, you know. So, I get to see him more than the others. I went to Patricia and Eddie's wedding and was chosen as a bride's maid. Then, Nina and Fabian's wedding as another bride's maid. And then, I went to Amber and Alfie's wedding as the Maid of Honor. Wait a minute, I remember you now. When I first saw you I could have sworn you looked familiar. You were Alfie's Best Man."

"Yeah, I was wondering how long it would take you to realize that. We walked down the aisle and everything." Jerome grinned.

"Oh my, gosh," Mara sighed with a chuckle.

"I've got to head back to the shop and double check that Aaron locked up, he's very irresponsible. But hey, he's one of my best friends even though I don't want to admit It." the blonde stood and headed for the door with Mara on his tail.

"Oh, that reminds me. What happened to the previous owners of the shop?" Mara bit her lip, hoping her good friends were okay.

"Oh, they moved. They moved to America so they could get better business and be closer to their grandchildren." Jerome replied, unhooking his coat from the rack and slipping it on.

"Good, Missy and Andrew were very good friends of mine, I just wanted to make sure they weren't hurt or anything."

Jerome nodded in understanding and opened the door.

"You know, I think it was a good thing Kyle ran off on you."

"What?"

"And that Grace ran off with the Meathead. If I had gotten married to Grace I would have traveled around the world with her. You and Kyle would have gotten married one day and you might have become a doctor."

"True, Kyle was the reason I wanted to become a doctor."

"I would have never met you and vise versa. Ya know, since you didn't talk to me at the wedding. And plus, Kyle and Mara, Jerome and Grace? No. Those Amber clones were right, Jerome and Mara sounds great together."

"So, you want to do this again sometime?" Mara asked shyly.

"How about tomorrow, Jaffray?" Jerome grinned.

Mara nodded with a grin of her own, resting her back against the door jam.

Jerome propped his forearm above her head and they both leaned in.

"Hi, Mara!" a voice squealed as their lips nearly touched.

Jerome froze and they turned to the little girl across the street.

"Hello, Lily, Jaimie," Mara smiled at the mother and her child as they climbed into their car.

"I'll see you tomorrow. And I'll be picking you up for Amber's Christmas Eve Party, right?" Jerome asked.

"Yes, please." Mara smiled.

"Okay, see you later." Jerome smirked and hurried off to his car as Mara waved to him while he drove away.

Mara shut her door and couldn't stop the grin that grew on her face as she slid down her door to the floor.

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**Hehe, I just read that over and I gave myself chills! I love this story, I consider this one of my bests. Review and tell me what you think!**

_**Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! -2 Corinthians 5:17**_

**God bless!**

**-Rachel**


	3. Part 3

**I know a few of you were wondering if the cat was going to have kittens, well that part of the story was just a sort of filler scene. So, sorry, I won't be doing anything that has to do with the cat have kittens since I had already finished all of the chapters and I just thought of adding that. No kittens, y'all! Anyway, this is the last chapter! The next thing going up is a one-shot for Teen Titans. I hope y'all like it! Enjoy!**

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The next week, Mara and Jerome went on several dates and she kept her promise to come every morning before they opened. Jerome made her stop paying after they became an official couple, and after much protesting from Mara.

The raven haired girl stared out the window of Jerome's car as they drove to Amber's house for the Christmas Eve party she made sure the others would come to as well. Jerome pulled up to the curb in front of Alfie and Amber's two story and shut the car off. He got out and helped Mara out next. Entwining their fingers, she pulled him up the steps and swung the door open without knocking. The foyer was decorated with lights and garlands. They could hear their friends chatting in the kitchen and Mara led him to the sound and they stood in the doorway for a second before the others noticed them.

"Jerome!"

Mara let his hand go as his old high school classmates greeted him. She giggled when Alfie tugged his best friend away from the group to tell him he had seen a UFO a while ago.

"So…I heard about you and Jerome." Eddie smirked at his small friend.

"Eddie…" Mara warned.

"I didn't say anything. Yeesh." He rolled his eyes.

"Daddy, come look at this!" Ryinne, Eddie's eight year old daughter, grinned, her green eyes twinkling.

Her twin, Lacey, ran up behind her, auburn hair flapping behind her. "Yeah, come on, it's hilarious!"

"I'll talk to you later, Mara." He chuckled and let his daughters pull him away.

"Hi, Aunty Mara," a shy voice said behind her.

She turned and smiled at Rusty Lewis. The four year old had his father's hair and skin tone while his eyes were bright and grey, matching his mother's.

"Hey, Rusty, how are you?"

"Good." he replied around his thumb as he sucked on it.

"Are you having fun?"

The boy nodded and then he looked over at his father and Jerome as they burst out laughing for reasons unknown to the others.

"Are you and daddy's friend getting married?" he asked.

Mara blushed and squatted down to look him in the eyes. "No, sweetie, why did you think that?"

"Because you to are so cute together." He stated as if it was obvious and then his cheeks grew warm.

Mara bit her lip, watching him run off to play with his 'cousins'. She jumped when she felt an arm wrap around her waist but relaxed when Jerome's warm, minty breath rolled across her skin.

"What's going on?" he asked.

"Nothing, just talking; what about you," she replied.

"Hanging out with Alfie." he shrugged.

"G'day!"

Jerome tensed at the sound of Mick's voice as he entered the house with Joy on his arm.

"I'll be right back." he whispered in Mara's ear and left the room as Mick strutted in happily.

Mara was hugged by Joy and Mick and they said their hellos and shared stories before the two walked off to talk to the others. Amber took a sip of her eggnog and popped up next to her best friend.

"Where'd Jerome go?"

"He went to the bathroom." Mara answered.

"So, you two _are_ a couple, right?"

"Yes, Amber, we're a couple." Mara rolled her eyes at the blonde.

"Excellent! I knew making Jerome ask you out would do some good."

"What?" Mara frowned, turning to her friend.

"I told Jerome to ask you out. I knew he wouldn't back out if I didn't set him up on blind dates anymore."

"I'll be right back," Mara mumbled, not bothering to wait for her reply, and left the room. As she hurried to the front door she brushed past Jerome quickly as he exited the bathroom.

"Hey, Jaffray, where're you going?"

When she didn't answer and left the house without her coat, he grabbed both of theirs and bolted after her. He chased her down the snowy street, calling after her, but all she did was walk faster and hug herself tighter.

"Mara, stop," Jerome ordered, gripping her elbow, turning her around to look at him.

"Let me go," she growled, tears slipping down her cheeks.

"Hey, hey, what's wrong? Why are you crying?" he wrapped her coat around her shoulders and wiped her cheeks.

"What do you mean what's wrong? You know. And you don't even care anyway." She snapped, walking away.

"What? Of course I care. Why do you think I don't?" he demanded, following her.

"Amber made you ask me out. So, you didn't even want to. It was all a big lie so you wouldn't be set up on another date again. Was everything you told me a lie? About your oh-so-horrible life? Grace? Everything?" she sobbed, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"No. I didn't lie. I never did. When I asked you out, yes, Amber did make me, but she was just shoving me in the right direction. I'd wanted to ask you out since the moment I saw you standing in the middle of my shop. Everything I told you was the truth. Everything I feel for you is real. It wasn't just because of Amber. Mara, seeing you hurt, and worse, hurt because of me, it kills me. It breaks my heart. Please believe me." he pleaded, holding onto her shoulders gently but firmly, rubbing small circles on her collar bones.

"I don't believe you." she grimaced.

"Mara, do you believe in love at first sight? Well, I never did, until I saw you for the first time. You ran into the chapel five minutes before the wedding, wearing that purple dress that made you look absolutely amazing. You had your hair pulled back in that bun with little strands framing your face. You had snow in your hair, too. You looked so stunning. And at that time I was with Grace but, I couldn't help myself when I looked at you and thought, 'she's perfect'. Grace had flaws. You don't. In my eyes, you're perfect. Mara, I fell in love with you the moment I first saw you. Please, please, please, believe Me." he whispered, staring into her brown eyes with such intensity and honesty she shivered.

"You love me?" she asked though it came out in a gasp.

"Yes, I do."

"I love you, too." She blushed.

Jerome grinned, resting his forehead against hers.

"I honestly wasn't planning on doing this but I don't want to lose you. I promise to love you forever, and I'll do anything to make you happy. I love you, Mara Jaffray." He sank down to one knee and licked his lips.

"Yes." Mara said before he could do anything.

"Will you please let me finish?" he chuckled.

Mara blushed, swallowed and nodded. She stared down at him as he held her hands in his.

"Jaffray, will you marry me?" he asked with a happy twinkle in his blue orbs.

"Yes. A million times, yes." she gasped, grinning.

"Breathe, Jaffray." Jerome whispered. He rose from his knee and held her face in his hands, wiping a stray tear from her cheek. "I don't have a ring though."

"I don't need one—"

"No, here," He pulled a chain out of his shirt and clasped it around her neck. "That chain is very special to me. My grandfather gave it to me before he died. I want you to keep it."

"Jerome, I couldn't—"

"Keep it," he ordered softly, taking the hand she'd reached up to the chain and pressing it to his heart.

"Kiss me," she whispered, feeling his warm breath on her lips.

"You don't have to tell me twice." He chuckled, leaning in.

"Jerome Clarke, Mara Jaffray, what are you doing? Get in here; it's going to be Christmas in a minute!" Amber scolded from the door way.

Jerome groaned, head snapping around to glare at the blonde but she had already walked away. Mara sighed and pulled him into the house again. They stopped in the common room as the others counted down the seconds with much less enthusiasm than Amber and the children.

The clock chimed as it reached midnight and Amber squealed.

"Merry Christmas, everyone!"

They all replied happily. Alfie swept Amber up into his arms and kissed her softly causing her to giggle and push him away playfully.

Nina and Fabian blushed madly as they kissed, while Joy and Mick had no problem with it.

"Get off me, Slimeball!" Patricia screeched as he chased her around the house after a kiss that was much longer than everyone else's.

"Jerome, Mara, you two didn't kiss." Amber's hands were planted on her hips as she raised her eyebrows expectantly at them.

Mara blushed and smiled when she saw Jerome's pale cheeks tint pink. Taking a chance, she threaded her fingers into his blonde hair and brought him down, pressing her lips to his. The others clapped and a wolf whistle came from Eddie which made Amber glare, Nina roll her eyes, Joy slap his arm, Patricia laugh and Mara kick him in the shin, without even breaking the kiss with Jerome. They pulled away a minute later, Mara's hands now on his shoulders and his arms around her waist. His forehead rested on hers as she leaned her body on his, lightheaded from the kiss.

"This is our best Christmas, in my opinion." Fabian stated.

"Yes, yes it is." Jerome whispered.

"What is that?" Patricia gasped, pushing Jerome away from Mara and picking the chain around the girl's neck up by her thumb and forefinger.

"Hey, Trixie; kind of having a moment here." Jerome snapped.

"That's your granddad's necklace. Why is she wearing it?" Alfie asked.

Jerome and Mara exchanged glances and Jerome pursed his lips. Mara spoke up first with a small, shy smile.

"Who wants to be a bridesmaid?"

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**Y'all probably wanted to see something with Mick too, huh? Well, once again, I'd finished the chapter and everything before I thought of doing that. I have more one-shots to do so I won't have a long A/N.**

**But, please review and check out the poll on my profile! Also, go to 1234breez's profile and vote on her pole please!**

**Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming. -1 Peter 1:13**

**Love y'all!**

**-Rachel**


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